Archive for January 9th, 2012

Martha Jane Johnson, 83, a resident of rural Albion and widow of Roderick C. Johnson, passed away on Sunday afternoon, January 9, 2012, at the home of her son in Green Township.Â Although she had been in declining health, her death was unexpected.

Mrs. Johnson was born in Green Township in Noble County on August 17, 1928, a daughter of Samuel â€œArchieâ€ and Clara L. (Ott) Friskney.Â She spent her formative years on the family farm there, and graduated from Albion High School.

On August 17, 1946 she was married in Wolf Lake to Roderick C. Johnson.Â She lived all of her adult life in Green Township, where she was a homemaker.Â She attended the Sugar Grove Church of God, north of Churubusco.Â Most importantly, â€œher family was her life.â€

Mr. Johnson preceded her in death on March 6, 1999.

The surviving relatives include three children Phyllis (Dan) Ferguson of Churubusco, and Mary Lou (Danny) Biddle and Billy F. Johnson, both of Albion; a son-in-law Bill Nicodemus of Columbia City; a brother Merle â€œBudâ€ Friskney of Arvada, Colorado;Â 21 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by two sons infant Harold Samuel Johnson in 1963 and Willis Johnson in 1979; a daughter Patricia A. Nicodemus in 2011; four brothers John Friskney, James Friskney, Boyd Friskney, and Willis Friskney; and a grandson Jonathan Nicodemus.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a. m. on Friday, January 13, 2012, at the Sheets & Childs Funeral Home in Churubusco with Rev. Timothy Grable, pastor of Sugar Grove Church of God, officiating.

The family will receive friends from 2-4 and from 6-8 p. m. Thursday at the funeral home, or one hour prior to the service Friday morning.

Interment will be in the Eel River Cemetery, south of Churubusco.

For those who wish, memorials may be directed to the donorâ€™s choice.

To leave an online condolence for the family in Mrs. Johnsonâ€™s memory, please click on “Condolences” below. . .